CHAPTER 7. BREAKING NOISES

Sherlock had a hand on the Browning in his coat pocket as he turned towards the sound of squeaky floor boards.

"Sir, there ya are. DI Lestrade sent us down to accompany you with your investigation." Sherlock released the hold on the Browning's hilt, offering a tight smile for the uniformed officer Clarke.

"Of course he did, I was just looking around, the maintenance man graciously let me in."

"Yeah I passed Mr. Charming on my way in." Clarke replied his heavy boots causing the floor boards to creak again.

"There might be a basement to this place. Except I don't see a door." The consulting detective narrowing his gray eyes to the floor under the officers black boots, Kneeling down knocking on the wood floor.

Daniels shot Clarke a questioning look from the doorway, officer Clarke only signaled him to be still, knowing from experience it was best to not question, make noise, or breath loudly when the dark haired detective was concentrating.

And no matter what, under no circumstances was it ever a good idea to answer Sherlock Holmes, even if it seemed that he was asking you a question. Clarke knew that if there was no eye contact, then it was best to just ignore it, the man often thought out loud, and 99 percent of the time it was to himself and no one else.

Clarke winced as the consulting detectives phone started to buzz loudly, resulting in an angry hiss "Oh, what now?"

The officer could see from where he stood that the caller ID was flashing the name, John Watson across the screen, this caused the mood of the now standing genius detective to change drastically from irritable to excited."Ah, Doctor Watson right on cue. John, I take it you found the sunflowers?"

Clarke and Daniels waited as Sherlock switched the phone to speaker, shuffling across the floor stomping around still testing the floor boards, all three men tensed listing for a reply, hearing nothing but static. "John?"

Clarke stepped forward radio in hand immediately on alert.

"John! Where are you?" Sherlock was dashing now through the shop's door nearly running Clarke and Daniels down.

"What is it sir?" Daniels called as the two officers followed at the detectives heals. The dark haired detective in the Bellstaff coat sprinted towards the green house across the back lot. All three men arrived at the glass domed structure within seconds, immediately aware of the hissing noise from within the building.

"Is the Doctor in there?" Clarke frowned trying to look through the windows, "I cant see a thing. What the hell is that fog?"

"John!" Sherlock ignored the officers questions pulling on the door, it wouldn't budge. "John!" he pounded on the thick glass, it wasn't any use the fog was too thick for a visiual. "The door! It's locked." Sherlock tried again, no luck, he moved to shoot at the lock, not caring if the officers arrested him for possession of an illegal fire arm, John might be in danger. That could well be toxic insecticide, he needed to get in and now.

"Step aside sir." Clarke halted the detectives actions as if reading his mind, another firm hand pulled him aside causing the usually stoic detective to swear irritably.

Sherlock tried to pull free of officer Daniels, his gray eyes cold and mouth ready to shout abuse, when officer Clarke surprised him by acting quickly in one fluid motion he drew his truncheon from it's holster the long metal stick flipped out extending to arms length and clicking loudly and firmly into place.

The trained officer then moved it purposefully, aiming a heavy strike at the glass door, the first strike caused the layered glass to crack and spider webb, a second thud shattered the top pane. Allowing the suffocating fog to rush out, this did not affect the determined Clarke who now kicked out the rest of the thick jagged edges of glass protruding from the bottom of the frame.

Sherlock didn't hesitate to dart in, coughing he held his coat to his face nearly falling over the unconscious John Watson sprawled out near the door.

"Call an ambulance!" Clarke shouted to Daniels, kneeling down to aid the consulting detective with moving the unconscious Doctor.

"John!" Sherlock coughed laying his friend out in the grass a few feet away from the sickly sweet miasma that now bellowed out through the forced entryway.

"The Ambulance is on the way. Is he breathing?" Daniels scanned the area for any movement keeping alert in case someone was stupid enough to attack the small group.

"Water! Do you have any water?" Sherlock demanded pulling the Doctor's coat from the unresponsive blond man.

"In the car we have a few bottles." Clarke offered.

"Bring me as many as you have! Now!" Sherlock commanded, loosing the doctor's buttoned up shirt.

"Yes sir! We'll be right back." Clarke and Daniels dashed over to the patrol car returning with a few water bottles.

"We keep them in the trunk in case of emergencies." Daniels explained dropping an arm full next to the consulting detective, curious as to what the detective was going to use them for.

"-it's a common chemical in pesticide easily broken down by h2o-" Clarke only caught the end of the conversation he was concentrating on the unresponsive doctor who with every breath made a terrible wheezing noise.

Clarke noted how the detectives hands tremble slightly as he opened the first bottle of water dumping it frantically over the doctor's flushed face, the Doctor soon started to sputter and cough his red rimmed eyes opening wide, wildly trying to focus.

"What the bloody hell!" he growled as another bottle of water was unceremoniously emptied out on over his eyes.

"Hold still Doctor it's for your own good." Sherlock replied shaking another bottle until the contents were completely drained.

"Are you trying to drown me?" John's voice sounded raw, his hand came up to block another onslaught of water, sitting up he tried to scoot back.

"Quite the opposite John. Just trying to help with the allergic reaction to the pesticide, now hold still and let me pour water into your eyes."

"What? Ugh-" Sherlock didn't wait for the Doctor to comply before he started to pour more water(two handed) into the already squinting doctor's eyes. Clarke tried not to laugh and Daniels only watched captivated by the suddenly humorous exchange between the two men.

"Dammit Sherlock I said stop!"

"And I said hold still Doctor!"

"If you dump one more damn bottle of water on me I swear I'll make you eat it!"

"And if you don't let me dump at least three more bottles of water on you I'll have Daniels hold you down."

"Sherlock! I'm serious!"

"And I assure you that was not an empty threat!"

~0~

Molly nervously tried to concentrate on the small telly just to the right of her bed, she fiddled with the television remote finding nothing on to keep her mind off of the hectic 24 hours. Her life was usually so uneventful, she sometimes wished for excitement but after this week she was looking forward to business as usual.

A firm knock on the door caused her to fumble and nearly drop the small remote, she quickly switched the telly to off. "Come in."

"Doctor Hooper."

"Oh, Detective Inspector." Molly greeted thankful that she managed to keep her voice from shaking.

"Doctor Howards was very adamant that I speak with you. Is this a bad time?"

she smiled sadly, "No. It's fine."

"Right." The DI shuffled into the room uncomfortably, deciding after hesitating between standing or sitting, to pull up a chair nearest the injured pathologists bed.

"I know you are really busy." She started "I don't know if it's worth mentioning but-"

"But?" Lestrade tried to appear patient, he would rather be out keeping an eye on Sherlock, he trusted John to keep the two out of trouble but sometimes trouble just followed the consulting detective wherever the man went. And Howards wouldn't say much over the phone, but the was relentless and refused to take no for answer. After speaking with the man just outside Molly's room briefly, the Detective Inspector felt as if he were being dismissed and he almost felt obligated to salute.

"Well for the past month or so I've been receiving these phone calls from a blocked number." This caught the DI's attention,

"Phone calls?"

"Nnnothing threatening at least just odd. Whoever called never said anything and I usually hung up first but then I started getting gifts."

"What kind of gifts?" Lestrade didn't like where this was going, he had a serial killer who had an odd fascination with women of similar build, height, eye and hair color of the younger woman, this couldn't be a coincidence.

Doctor Howards waited at the nurse's station for the gray haired DI, after just a few minutes the man was leaving Molly Hoopers room.

"DI I take it she told you about the flowers."

"Yes, these them?" Greg motioned towards the sunflowers sitting behind the desk.

"Yes, sir. Made sure to handle them with gloves. No one else has touched them since."

"Good man. Good man. I'm having forensics come up."

"And I take it you'll be putting more officers outside her room as well?" Greg couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, Doctor Howards that's exactly what I'll have done."

"Good. That young woman has been through enough. I hope you didn't upset her more by berating her or-"

"Now-"

"No you see here. You lot should be aware of these things. I'm surprised she isnt comfortable enough disclosing this. You're her friends aren't you? Not much of a genius detective that Sherlock Holmes if one of his close friends is being threatened right under his nose."

"Sir. Anderson sent me up to pick up flowers?" Forensics officer Hicks interrupted the two men.

"Yeah, take those down to the lab. I want the jar fingerprinted."

"Right away sir." Hicks nervously stepped between the two men, both men immediately dismissed his presence and continued with whatever conversation he'd interrupted.

"Doctor-" Lestrade was about to ask the man if he'd seen anyone suspicious hanging about when the sound of shattering glass caused both the DI and Doctor to turn their attention towards the end of the hospital corridor.

"Sssorry sir-must of slipped." Hicks wearing his Nitrile gloves started to pick up the shattered pieces of broken mason jar.

Howards only shook his head irritably and Lestrade swore under his breath, there goes that piece of evidence.

"With such competent people I can see why Miss. Hooper should have so much faith in you lot."